Vegan Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup (Harira)
Source: Cook's Illustrated, Better Vegan Category: Vegan Soups and Stews
Prep Time: 15-20 min Cook time: 50 min Total Time: 65-70 min Serves 6 to 8
About this recipe
I love Moroccan food and the bold flavors of North African spices, so when I saw this recipes, I knew I had to make it. Of course, I had to veganize it first by substituting chicken broth by vegetable broth. I also used coconut oil instead of olive and omitted glutenous orzo. The soup came out great, but had a little too much acidity for my taste, so I drained and rinsed tomatoes and reduced the amount of lemon juice to 1 tablespoon.
This soup has plenty of proteins from chickpeas and lentils, and garlic, ginger and spices provide a great anti-inflammatory boost.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. coconut oil (I use Kirkland Signature Cold Pressed Unrefined Organic Virgin Coconut Oil)
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. ground coriander (try McCormick 1% Organic, Ground Coriander, 1.25-Ounce Unit)
2 tsp. smoked paprika (try Badia Smoked Paprika 16 oz)
1 tsp. ground cumin (I use McCormick Ground Cumin, 4.5 oz)
½ tsp. ground cinnamon (try Organic Wise Ceylon Cinnamon Ground Powder)
⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes
¾ cup minced fresh cilantro
½ cup minced fresh parsley
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup brown lentils, picked over, soaked overnight and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
4 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Pink Himalayan salt (I use Sherpa Pink Gourmet Himalayan Salt, 5 lbs Fine Grain)
Black pepper
Lemon wedges
Instructions:
1. Prepare the ingredients.
2. Heat oil in large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent and starting to brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Stir in ½ cup cilantro and ¼ cup parsley and cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in broth, water, chickpeas, and lentils; increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and gently simmer until lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes and simmer, partially covered, for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chard and continue to cook, partially covered, about 5 minutes longer. Off heat, stir in lemon juice, remaining ¼ cup cilantro, and remaining ¼ cup parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.